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chicksdaddy writes "We hear a lot about vulnerabilities in industrial control system (ICS) software. But what about real evidence of compromised SCADA and industrial control systems? According to security researcher Michael Toecker, a consultant at the firm Digital Bond, the evidence for infected systems with links to industrial automation and control systems is right under our eyes: buried in public support forums. Toecker audited support sites like bleepingcomputer.com, picking through data dumps from free malware scanning tools like HijackThis and DDS. He found scans of infected systems that were running specialized ICS software like Schweitzer Engineering Labs (SEL) AcSELerator Software and GE Power's EnerVista Software (used to configure GE electric power protection products). The infected end user systems could be the pathway to compromising critical infrastructure, including electrical infrastructure. 'With access to a protection relay through a laptop, a malicious program could alter settings in the configuration file, inject bad data designed to halt the relay, or even send commands directly to the relay when a connection was made,' Toecker wrote."

Why would anyone responsible for these computers (running devices whose operation is dangerous to human life) ever connect them to the internet?? Are they complete morons? Why would they be able to keep their jobs? Are they all idiot sons of rich people and therefore can't be fired or something? I don't get it? What am I missing?

How many millions of dollars a year do you want to spend to maintain that isolation? You can do it, it's just really expensive.

1. Lock down/destroy all wireless comm on all hardware2. Make entire network visible - all cable runs visible in clear conduits.3. No software installs without full audit (sorry, no commercial installs allowed, no audit software allowed on the gold network)4. Destroy all hardware leaving the building (and yes, that includes guests' cellphones.)5. No windows, line of sight, radio leakage, etc.6. Fab your own chips. Even a 555 timer can hold a rogue 8086.7. No interns. Assume every Chinese grad is a malware vector (and everyone else, too.)8. Assume you still have a 1 bit per second channel to the outside world (power draw, sound, etc.)

1. The SCADA-related stuff is, in fact, properly air-gapped. Then the contractor who has to update the firmware on widget Z shows up and plugs in or a stupid and/or malicious insider manages to find a working USB port.

2. You install a fancy Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system. Your Boss says "WTF, why can't I supervise and manage from the comfort of my iPad like in the vendor demo?" You proceed to punch one or more holes in your precious security.